Danny Knobler of CBS Sports reported last week that the Detroit Tigers might trade Mac Scherzer this winter before he becomes too costly. Scherzer, the likely American League Cy Young winner, went 21-3 with a 2.90 ERA and the second-most strikeouts in the league this season.

Scherzer can become a free agent after the 2014 season and as a client of Scott Boras, the right-hander is unlikely to sign a long-term deal this close to the open market. The Tigers would love to keep their core together going forward, but doing so wouldn't be cost efficient.

Miguel Cabrera, Prince Fielder and Justin Verlander all make more than $20 million and Scherzer will soon join them. He earned $6.75 million this season and could approach $20 million as soon as this spring through arbitration. Detroit's payroll is incredibly top-heavy. They have $107.8 million already committed to six players -- Cabrera, Fielder, Verlander, Torii Hunter, Victor Martinez and Anibal Sanchez.

It makes absolute sense that Dave Dombrowski would trade an expensive star, but is Scherzer the best option?

It wouldn't be an easy sell, and they would be selling low, but at the very least the Tigers would be better served to try and move Fielder than one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball.

I'm not suggesting that Fielder would bring back the type of return Scherzer would. Even though he's under contract through the 2020 season, Detroit would have to tempter their demands given the $168 million remaining on his oversized contract.

Fielder contributed just 1.7 WAR to the Tigers this season as he hit .279/.362/.457 with 25 home runs and 106 RBIs. He hurt his overall value by playing a poor defensive first base (see: Game 2 of the ALCS). Fielder flirted with 5.0 WAR in 2011 and 2012. His production this season has made his contract look atrocious.

The Tigers have one of the thinnest farm systems in all of baseball. They would benefit greatly from whatever young talent they could acquire. They traded Avisail Garcia in the Jose Iglesias-Jake Peavy deal this summer, further depleting their system. Iglesias is just 22 years old and a tremendous defensive shortstop, but wasn't in the starting lineup for three of the first four games of the ALCS because of a weak bat. 

Nick Castellanos has shown promise, but the cupboard is bare behind him. If the Tigers are serious about shopping Scherzer and could get someone to listen about Fielder, it may be a matter of compensation as much as payroll savings.

With that said, Cabrera and Verlander won't be elite forever. The Tigers' chances of winning a World Series with that duo will decrease with each passing fall. The pair will both be in their age-31 seasons in 2014.

In today's game a pair of dominant pitchers atop your rotation are more valuable than two All-Star hitters in the middle of your order. Pitching has become the name of the game, even more so during the playoffs when rotations are shortened and at-bats become more meaningful.

Major League clubs scored just 4.17 runs per game this regular season, the lowest total since 1992 and nearly a full run lower than the 2000 average of 5.14. Dominant pitching has been the story this postseason as well. Heading into Tuesday's games, clubs are averaging just 3.58 runs as the strikeouts pile up at historic rates.

If the Tigers are going to make a cost-conscious trade this winter, dealing Prince Fielder makes a lot more sense than moving Scherzer. The sales job will have to be a very good one, but Dave Dombrowski hasn't guided Detroit to three-straight ALCS appearances by being conservative.